Free will. Predestination. Election. Irresistible grace.
These ideas may or may not mean much to you but if you’re familiar with the debate surrounding them, you know they get to the heart of the debate between Arminians and Calvinists. Arminian Christians and Calvinist Christians have been debating the nature of free will, what predestination and election are all about, and whether God’s grace is resistible for a long time. In this article, I want to respond to two common objections Arminianism has with Calvinism.
Let’s summarize quickly where each position stands. Calvinists believe that God “irresistibly” saves people. This means God, from before the foundations of the world, unconditionally elected some sinners to be saved and “irresistibly” gives them faith in Jesus. God is not deterred by the natural resistance we all have towards Him because He gives us new hearts that repent to and believe in Jesus. In other words, His saving grace is “irresistible”, though I find that term misleading.
Arminians also believe we are saved by Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone, to God’s glory alone. However, where we disagree and where the rubber meets the disagreement-road is that Arminians believe God’s grace awakens all people to the point of being able to freely choose whether or not to believe in Jesus. This choice is no doubt assisted by grace, in some sense, but it is absolutely not a choice God makes for us. We must choose Jesus on our own in our state of being freed by prevenient grace.
With that being said, there are two dilemmas Arminians find with the Calvinist position, as explained by Roger E. Olson. In his book, Arminian Theology, Dr. Olson argues that Arminians reject the Calvinist understanding of “irresistible” grace because “…it violates the character of God and the nature of a personal relationship.” It violates the character of God because it means that he has chosen to not save all people. And it violates the nature of personal relationship because love for God is not “genuine” if God makes that choice for us.
I want to solve these dilemmas by pointing to Arminianism’s own positions and raise the exact same dilemmas. My answers to their dilemmas revolve around the Arminian’s understanding of what they call “prevenient grace”. In this article I will address the first objection that Calvinism violates the character of God.
Arminianism says Calvinism violates the character of God as a God of love because He chooses to save some and not others. Olson repeatedly raises the questions that, “If God saves unconditionally and irresistibly, why doesn’t he save all?” The fact that all are not saved means “the character of God as love showing itself in mercy is at stake.” Again, “Furthermore, if God selects some to be saved unconditionally and irresistibly, why doesn’t he choose all?” The dilemma posed is that if God singlehandedly saves some, He morally should save all. Again, “But most importantly, if God solely determines salvation and does not save everyone…God’s goodness is simply inexplicable and therefore debatable. God then becomes morally ambiguous. That is the Arminian problem with Calvinism; it is a problem Arminians cannot live with.”
To that dilemma I’ll respond by saying that Arminians do in fact live with that “problem”. Let me make just two points in response.
First, God is not obligated to save a single person. The premise that it is unloving or immoral for God to solely determine salvation for some but not all seems like a moral standard created by Arminianism. The fact that God has mercy on anyone is a marvel to wonder at. If you and I were in charge, I’m confident far fewer would be saved. Yet we find that God has saved and will save countless sinners who deserve nothing but damnation. He is gracious and merciful beyond our wildest dreams. To the question, “Why doesn’t God save everyone?” I respond with, “Why in the world has God saved anyone?” Can you answer that? Why would God save such a dirty wretch like you? Like me? The Bible’s answer: because of grace.
I do not know why God has mercy on some but not all. But I know that that very reality highlights the very definition of mercy. It isn’t deserved.
Second, I’d like to answer this dilemma by pointing out that Arminians too have this problem of answering why God does not save everyone and they are currently living with it. In fact, I think this is a much bigger problem for them. According to Arminianism, God is not willing to singlehandedly save a single person, though He absolutely could save everyone. At least in Calvinism He is willing to singlehandedly save many, many people. To Arminians I ask, why isn’t God willing to singlehandedly save a single person, including you?
In response to my response I know Arminianism responds by saying that God is not willing to singlehandedly anyone because He wants to preserve “genuine” love on the basis of a free choice. To that I will turn in the next article.
